To Shield the Queen by Fiona Buckley

Ursula Blanchard thought that maybe her life would start settling down. Recently widowed and without a way to provide for her daughter Meg, she jumps at the chance to be a lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth. But after arriving at court, Ursula is faced with the problem of living up to the necessary court standards—a standard her modest stipend falls far short of.
She’s not the only one at court with a problem. With Elizabeth newly crowned, the country (and England’s enemies) are jockeying to discover, and influence, who will be the new king. And the queen isn’t helping matters by appearing infatuated with Robin Dudley, her master of horse. Not only is he completely ineligible—he’s also married. In the maelstrom of court gossip and political turmoil that results from this, rumors circulate that Robin’s wife, who is sick and dying, is being poisoned so that he can be free to marry Elizabeth.
The Queen may love Dudley, but she is no fool. So when Dudley suggests that an impartial observer be sent to stay with his wife and quell these rumors, Ursula is recommended for the job. Given the chance to help the queen, and improve her finances, Ursula realizes she can’t refuse. But is this a simple job as nursemaid, or is something more sinister afoot?
After traveling to the out-of-the-way manor house and meeting Amy, Ursula can see that Robin’s wife is a very sick woman. But she also begins to suspect that they’re may be more truth to the rumors than she—or the queen—would like to think. What if she wasn’t sent to make Amy’s last months peaceful? What if, instead of protecting the queen, she is really helping Robin with a dastardly plot?
As Ursula begins to question where her duty lies, she also struggles with loosing her heart to the charming frenchman Matthew de la Roche. But is she willing to leave her country, and her queen, for love? Ursula’s problems escalate as she tries to keep a precarious balance between all these forces tugging at her. Who can she trust? For this is not just a matter of protecting herself, or even Amy; her real job is To Shield the Queen. This mystery/historical fiction offering by Fiona Buckley will leave you enthralled, and hungry for the rest of the series.