These are troubled times, fraught with intrigue and danger. John Knox is preaching against the young Mary Queen of Scots, while her treacherous husband, Lord Darnley, is twisted with jealousy of Rizzio, the royal favourite.
The arrival of the Queen's messenger at Leezie Sinclair's squalid croft one day means a new life for the young girl. Taking the opportunity to escape from the harsh land of her drunken stepfather, Leezie flees with her mother to 'civilized' Edinburgh of 1565. There, Leezie's mother is to be nursemaid to the Queen's expected child.
One day Leezie finds a trapped falcon which leads her to an unexpected friendship, giving her a chance to escape the intrigue and treachery in which she has become inextricably involved. But the sudden arrival of her stepfather changes everything. He is intent on vengeance - against Leezie.

Quest for a Kelpie

by Frances Mary Hendry

Published 1 October 1986
It is a crucial moment in Britain's history: Prince Charles Edward Stuart's attempt to regain his grandfather's crown from the Hanoverian King George is in the balance.
Jeannie Main is warned that she will make a king and break a king. But how could a wee fisher lass do such a thing?
What will bring her four times into the shadow of the gibbet? And why should she risk her life by riding the Kelpie, the most dangerous monster in all Scotland?

12-year-old Downie, known as "Jackdaw", the best thief in London, is desperate to save his helpless brother and sister from the brutality of Ivory Sal and her two vicious sons. His skills draw the attention of young Frank Verney, who serves Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's fanatical spy-master.
Diverted by the lovely daughters of Black Kate, Frank rebels against the lies, double dealing and blackmail of the Protestant wolves at Elizabeth's court as they close in on Mary, Queen of Scots. Her friends make romantic, doomed plans to rescue her, but who is urging them on?
Knowing who is friend or foe can mean life or death to Frank, Jack and Susannah in their quest to save the threatened queen; and Ivory Sal complicates matters further with her determination to get her revenge on the elusive Jack. As events intensify so does the danger for the three young friends.