Shopaholic, social schemer, serial marrier and master builder, Bess in her prime rivalled the power and influence of Elizabeth I. This is a story about mergers and acquisitions. It is also the story of one woman's quest to build the most beautiful house in England - 'Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall'. In this witty, original portrait, Bess emerges as an insatiable force, a towering personality in an age of giant egos.