The Other Boleyn Girl

The book that I am currently reading is called The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory. I am on page 123 out of 661. The book starts off in the spring of 152; Mary's uncle has said the forbidden out loud, that the King cannot produce a male heir to the thrown. For this he is sent to the block. At the last minute the King Henry is supposed to publicaly forgive him, so those who attend the execution are not expecting to see a murder. But as the ax is raised the king is still seated, and at last the ax falls and the duke is dead. It is a gruesome depiction and Mary tells us that the king needed to show the world that those who speak this atrocity against the thrown. The book continues a year later with the return a Mary's older sister from France. Mary is eager to see her sister, but also to show her how much better she is than her, because she is a lady in waiting to the lovely Queen Kathrine. Mary has always been jealous of her older sister, and before Anne's arrival she even thinks how much better her life would be without her sister to compeate with, and wishes her to die at sea. She then realizes that she could not live in a world without her and is sorry to have even thought of such a tragedy. Although she wanted to show her sister how much better her life is than Anne's she is so happy to see her sister she gives herself away by running to greet Anne. Several days later there is a masque where 5 ladies are to dance with 5 knights, Mary and Anne are both chosen along with their brother George's bethrothel, the kings sister Queen Mary and the kings aunt. At the masque the king asks Mary to dance, but she is supposed to play along with his disguise and not recognize him. When he finally removes his mask, Mary faints. When Mary's family finds out about the kings interest in their youngest daughter, they order her to leave her husbands bed. This is because if she is to become the kings mistress he must know that he has been with only him, so Mary moves to the Queens chamber. I am looking forward to find out how the Boleyn family manipulate their family and friends for the "advancement of the family".