Continuing the adventures of Ursula Blanchard, lady in waiting and undercover spy at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. The country seems to be flourishing under Elizabethan rule, but Ursula's strange double life shows us the cracks in this robust facade. The novel opens as Ursula is taught the secrets of lockpicking; soon she is sent to use these and other skills at Lockhill, a household suspected of disloyalty. New tapestries purporting to be antiques; coins that are lighter than they ought to be; strange bird like contraptions and boxes that play tunes - nothing seems quite as it should be at Lockhill. And as Ursula begins to piece together the clues, she realises that there could be terrifying consequences for the country... But although she is devoted to her Queen, Ursula is not now an entirely free agent. She has given her heart to Matthew De La Roche, a catholic. And when her husband turns out to have a connection with Lockhill, she is confronted with a very 20th century dilemma, which should come 1st, her career or her emotions? And should she save her beloved husband, or herself and her country? The weave of period detail, mystery plot and pacing with a Great heroine and a real emotional dilemma results in a novel thats a rich tapestry of Elizabethan England and a cracking good read.