Penelope Devereux is a legendary beauty in the court of Elizabeth but it's not just her looks which mark her apart. With her canny instinct for being in the right place at the right time and her skilled political manipulation she has become a formidable adversary to anyone who stands in her path. And now Penelope must secure the future of the Devereux dynasty at whatever cost. Even treason. For the Queen is just one more pawn in a deadly game.