Having miraculously cleared his name of charges of murder and treason, Francis Crawford of Lymond is hardly the type to settle down to a peaceful life. Instead, he embarks on a secret mission to protect the Scottish queen, who, though still a little girl, is already the object of malicious intrigues. Embedding himself within the decadent French court, Lymond undertakes the most unlikely of masquerades to ensure that the young queen remains safe. But with his past weighing more heavily on Lymond than he would ever admit, he finds himself sinking a little too deeply into his devious disguise -- and risks losing himself completely. -- page 4 of cover
