Lucy dreams of being a maid in one of the houses of the gentry - anything to get her closer to the queen and further from her drunken father. By an odd twist of fate, she finds employment at the house of Dr Dee, court magician and consultant to Elizabeth I. Lucy is intrigued by the mysterious work of the doctor and his dark associate, Mr Kelly. She can’t resist poking her nose in, especially if it means catching a glimpse of the queen. But she learns more than she bargained for, and discovers a terrible secret that she must convey to Her Grace at all costs.