He doubts the Emperor would invade and risk leaving himself exposed to the French. He seems confident Gardiner will not find anything and, anyhow, Gardiner is soon dispatched to be ambassador to France. There are rumours that Katherine is busy writing letters, urging the Pope to excommunicate Henry and the Emperor to invade England. Gardiner continues to look into Cromwell’s past, trying to find anything that could discredit and destroy him. Cromwell tries to reassure the King, tries to remind him he is master of his house, country and church but also learns his long-time rival, Stephen Gardiner, has been advising Henry with the aim of pushing him back towards his first wife and Rome. Anxious and unable to sleep Henry wonders if his marriage to Anne offended God, wonders about her possible history with other men, in an echo of conversations Henry previously had with the late Cardinal Wolsey about his first wife, Katherine. Henry’s whims remain dangerous and unpredictable, and the King is still without a male heir. International relations between England, France, the Empire and Rome need to be handled carefully. He has plenty of enemies, at home and abroad, who would like to see his downfall. But Henry has turned to him, Henry has sworn him in Henry has put his name at his disposal and said, come, Master Cromwell, take my arm through courtyards and throne rooms, his path in life is now made smooth and clear.īut the commoner from Putney knows that his rapid promotions to titles and estates does not mean he can rest easy in security. When his wife and daughters died, you might have thought his loss would kill him. When Wolsey fell, you might have thought that as Wolsey’s servant he was ruined. Henry has taken a fancy to Jane Seymour and Cromwell can see the advantage of Henry taking Jane as a mistress as Edward Seymour would make a useful ally. One of those is an alliance with the Seymour family who reside at Wolf Hall. Much has worked out well for Cromwell Thomas More has been eliminated, the King is married to Anne Boleyn, the process of dissolving monasteries is underway and new opportunities are always arriving.

It is 1535 and Henry VIII’s Master Secretary, Thomas Cromwell, now past middle-age, is growing rich and fat.

In this second part of her Cromwell Trilogy, Hilary Mantel’s telling of Cromwell’s story is evolving too.

Though, in such a fluid and dynamic environment, in England and abroad, Cromwell must balance taking his opportunities to further himself and his agenda with watching his back. Having survived the downfall of his master, Cardinal Wolsey, and effected Henry VIII’s separation from Rome, marriage to Anne Boleyn and trial of Thomas More Thomas Cromwell has risen far.

Author of bring up the bodies