When the Earl of Berkeley escapes death in a duel, defending his wife's honour, the outcome is not what his opponent intended. Prince Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, is a deadly foe. After the failed 1799 Pedigree Trial to prove their first marriage, the Berkeleys must adopt a new strategy to ensure the succession. Their wayward eldest son's courtesy title, Lord Dursley, is far from fixed. Whilst the Prince of Wales seeks favours in return for endorsement of her early status, the Countess finds herself caught up in the Delicate Investigation of Princess Caroline, the banished wife he wishes to divorce. One of his spies, Lady Charlotte Douglas, who grew up in Gloucester and knows Mary Cole's past, tells tales of a liaison at a time she vows she was married to the Earl. Lord Berkeley's tragic death means his widow must face the House of Lords Committee of Privileges alone. Royal promises are broken and allies melt away as the hearing wends its sensational course before Cumberland inflicts the coup de grâce.