Elizabeth Sydenham went to the court of Queen Elizabeth as a maid of honour and managed to retain her virtue, despite the example of her easy-going peers. Although attracted to Sir William Courtenay, a handsome ne'er do well, she was determined to marry her most ardent suitor, Sir Francis Drake. After her marriage she enjoyed the excitement and reflected glory of being the wife of England's hero, but Courtenay did not lightly forget the vivacious girl he had hoped to win. When she was free to become Courtenay's wife, however, Elizabeth discovered for herself which of the two men she really loved. "One of Britain's foremost writers of historical sagas and contemporary woman's fiction" - Good Housekeeping