In 1173, Lady Helen Tiernay besieges King Henry with letters, demanding he do something about Lord Holden, who is mismanaging his nearby estate. Lord Holden responds with a stream of missives insisting the king do something to quiet the shrewish nagging of his noble neighbor. King Henry finds a neat solution to both problems. He decrees that Lady Tiernay shall marry Lord Holden, so that she can make her complaints directly to her husband and that he can respond without further troubling the Crown. Neither the lord nor the lady is pleased by the king's command. But, despite the lovely lady's clever strategies (including preparing flea-ridden beds and stomach-turning ale in the hope of convincing her husband to join a monastery rather than join her in their marriage bed), the avowed foes soon find they have much in common. Unfortunately, just as Lord Holden learns that his lady has humor and wit to match her beauty, he also discovers a plot that could be the death of them both. Readers will find lots to laugh about as this seemingly mismatched pair finds Bliss in the course of their romantic and perilous adventures.