Bess is a wealthy woman who has parlayed the lands of her previous husbands into an impressive income, but finds that hosting the Scottish Queen is draining her finances. She is incensed that Elizabeth does not reimburse her expenses. I did not realize that Mary's upkeep might have fallen on other than the royal treasury.

George, on the other hand, manages to fall in love with the beautiful pretender to the English throne. To me, George was the most compelling character, and the most sympathetic.

Mary herself expects to be rescued by her followers or her husband, Bothwell, (who is imprisoned in Denmark) and reinstated as Queen of Scotland, or possibly even elevated to Queen of England.

Gregory has done a splendid job of research, and presenting the events that happened during Mary's imprisonment. Most of the narration is repetitive, with each person reiterating the same problems multiple times, and it moves forward at a leisurely pace to the inevitable end. I enjoyed the book, but I guess I have already read too many versions of the ill-fated Queen's life, and didn't find it as compelling as I anticipated.