The Gambit

Set in Tudor England, and drawing on Mark Twain's tale, The Prince and the Pauper and Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, this historical fiction tells of a young Lady Elizabeth, eager to experience life beyond the palace walls and Henry, an orphan boy seeking to flee the brutal conditions that are his lot in life. Though born into very different worlds, they are so close in age and looks that they could be twins. What begins as a lark and a case of mistaken identity evolves into an adventure of a lifetime for the two youths, one that is as dangerous as it is exciting in ways neither could have ever imagined in their wildest dreams. The freedom the Lady Elizabeth enjoys while assuming the role of a boy is tempered by the cruel realities of battle. For Henry, what should have been nothing more than a brief respite from a life of deprivation becomes something more as he is drawn into court intrigues that can be just as vicious and unforgiving as the back alleys of 16th Century London. As the two youths carefully tread their way along uncharted paths, the English King arranges for the betrothal of the Lady Elizabeth. Though he is no longer at court, Sir Robert finds he has no other choice but to do all he can to keep that from occurring, least his ploy to pass Henry off as Elizabeth is discovered. When she learns of this, Lady Elizabeth, aided by Sir Thomas, races back to England in an effort to undo a comedy of errors that threatens to turn deadly.