It is 1603 and Queen Elizabeth I has passed away. With her successor, James I of Scotland, on his way to be crowned, Lady Frances, a favorite of the old queen, returns to the family home of Longford. Frances is delighted to be away from the intrigues of court and home once again.Times are changing, though, and Longford isn't as peaceful and safe as it used to be. The king is determined to rid the kingdom of witches and Frances' skill with using herbs to heal puts her squarely in the suspicious category. When her ambitious uncle secures a place for her as a maid to the king's young daughter, Frances finds herself reluctantly back at court. There she finds that she loves her young charge but has developed a new enemy in the Lord of the Privy Seal, Lord Cecil, who has the king's ear.
Dissatisfaction with James grows as his intolerance towards Catholics grows. Despite herself, Frances finds herself drawn into the plotting of what would become known as the Gunpowder Plot - an attempt to blow up Parliament with the King, his two sons, and all of Parliament inside. Will her love for Tom Wintour, a lawyer she has come to know and love, help her or hurt her?
This book covered a time in history that has always been somewhat confusing to me. Beginning in 1603 and ending in early 1606, it helped me understand what happened after Elizabeth died and even helped me understand why Charles I (the youngest son of James I and his heir) was eventually executed. It also showed me just how little power women had (and sometimes made me wonder if things had changed all that much.) Lady Frances is likable and courageous and I was rooting for her all the way through the book.
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