A snowy March, 1367, and King Edward is impatient. He wants his privy councillor, William of Wykeham, confirmed as Bishop of Winchester, but Pope Urban V is stalling, deterred by the man's wealth and political ambition. Thus Owen Archer finds himself heading a deputation from York to Fountains Abbey to try to win support for Wykeham from the powerful Cistercian abbots. Ignoring the advice of his apothecary wife, Lucie, he places his old comrade Ned Townley in charges of the fellow company to Rievaulx, hoping to dispel rumours of Ned's involvement in a mysterious death. But just days out of York trouble erupts- first a friar, then Ned vanish, following news of a murder at Windsor. Owen asks John Thoresby, at court in his role as Lord Chancellor, to investigate, little knowing it will involve him with the King's mistress, Alice Perrers, ever a dangerous enemy. . .