The scandalous erotic correspondence between King James I and his young favorite and the stolen manuscripts of two Shakespearean plays are a threat to the nobility. If these papers become public, England will be shaken by a scandal the likes of which have not been seen for several centuries. But who dared to blackmail the monarch himself? The humble bookseller who is rumored to have both letters and plays? That's funny. There is clearly someone behind him, but who? The all-powerful chief of the secret service, Sir Robert Cecil, is mortally ill. He, calling on the retired Henry Gresham, orders to find the manuscripts and neutralize the blackmailer at any cost. Henry is no stranger to playing with death, unraveling cunning intrigues and providing the English crown with services of the most delicate nature. But this time he has an assistant - Lady Jane, his beautiful wife.