Set in Scotland during the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, Rinette Leslie of Granmuir has the gift of seeing into the future by hearing the voices of flowers. The voices will eventually predict the tragic future of Scotland's queen. As a young girl, Rinette was sent to court to serve the Queen Regent, Mary of Guise. As Mary lay on her death bed, she begs Rinette to remove a casket of letters from court meant for the future Queen. The casket contains ciphered letters penned by Nostradamus which prophesied the queen's future.

Rinette agrees to steal the precious letters from court, but she cannot even begin to fathom the burden and curse she has accepted: a curse which will follow her until the letters are safely delivered to the new queen. Rinette fiercely resented being taken from her beautiful seaside castle named Granmuir. But Rinette especially resented the separation from the only man she has ever loved, Alexander Gordon. After the Queen Regent dies, Rinette is allowed to return to Granmuir and Alexander. But their happiness is short lived when the Earl of Rothes announces that Rinette must marry Rannoch Hamilton. Rinette and Alexander barely escape with their lives when Rannoch stops their wedding and attempts to abduct Rinette. Although Rinette and Alexander realize their lifelong dream of being husband and wife, Alexander is murdered soon after the wedding. The search for Alexander's murderer consumes Rinette, even as she struggles to save her own life.

After Alexander's death, Rinette is forced to marry Rannoch. Rinette's only hope of escaping her abusive marriage is by giving the Queen the casket of letters she knows Rinette holds in her possession. After suffering unspeakable cruelty from her husband, Rinette makes a pact with the Queen. If Rinette produces the letters, the Queen will grant Rinette a divorce and allow her to return to Granmuir. But when Rinette returns to the hiding place where she left the letters, she discovers they have been stolen. Rinette must find the letters if she hopes the escape her violent and dangerous husband. Rinette finds unexpected help in a handsome frenchman named Nicolas de Clerac. Rinette vowed never to love again, but when Nicolas saves her life time and time again, he becomes the only person Rinette can trust. But Rinette will do anything to stop herself from giving Nicolas her heart, especially when he admits to keeping a secret that he can never reveal.

Sexy, manipulative, and dangerous --- Loupas has written Mary Queen of Scots at her best! It was refreshing to read a novel about Mary without her English cousin, Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth Loupas cleverly created a murder mystery, which the readers will emotionally connect with. Although Alexander and Rinette's relationship in the novel is brief, the author manages to recreate the beauty of their childhood love through Rinette's memory. The search for the casket of letters reads at a frantic pace and will make the readers wonder if Rinette will ever be able to free herself from her abusive husband.