Summer 1560, pages 366 - Summary

In the summer of 1560, Cecil is at Newcastle and sends a secret note to Queen Elizabeth talking about the benefits and disadvantages of assassination. Queen Elizabeth understands at once what he means; that an attempt will be made on Mary Guise's life (the French Regent) and she is overjoyed. The negotiations go ahead and then, suddenly, the news of Mary Guise's death arrives and the French forces crumble at Edinburgh. What starts out as a negotiation of France's victory over Scotland suddenly becomes a negotiation over her defeat. William Cecil believes that it is the best piece of political work that he has ever performed.

Hearing wind of this back in Windsor, Robert is outraged that the French have not given up Calais, or paid compensation to the English crown in their defeat. He immediately instructs the queen to...