Meet the Characters – From my novel The Reflection in the Mirror
27th January 2026 by | Uncategorized
Francis Dereham first crossed paths with Catherine Howard while serving as secretary to the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. Though only distantly related to the powerful Howard family, he nursed ambitions far beyond the limits of his position and carried himself with a confidence that outweighed his rank.
Dereham was already known for dalliances with some of the Duchess’s other young wards, and when Catherine was brought to his attention, his ego and ambition quickly overtook his judgement. He was drawn not only to her youth and charm, but to the prospect of advancement through attachment to a Howard. In Catherine, he imagined both affection and opportunity.
He possessed a certain easy charm, but he was also careless. Too much wine or ale often loosened his tongue, and in his self-assurance he misread Catherine’s playful and unguarded behaviour as genuine devotion. What began as youthful flirtation was inflated by Dereham into something far more serious, a miscalculation that would later cast a long shadow over Catherine’s fate.
The novel is now available as a paperback, or on Kindle, and hardback copies will be on sale shortly.
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Gemma
www.murderinthetower.london