While Will pleads with the dying Queen for suicidal Hal's life, his poems are stolen, printed and distributed without his permission, setting in motion a chain of events that could prove disastrous.
Plague over, life returns to normal in London and the theatres reopen. The inconstancy of a dark mistress and the jealousy of an Earl conspire to enlarge Will's understanding of human nature.
Will's new troupe of actors arrive in a plague-ridden London and perform Richard III to great acclaim, but a death in the family jeopardises all. A handsome rogue is not what he seems, luckily for Will.