For a medieval ruler, Edward IV showed an extraordinary interest in trade and commerce. His father, duke of York and largest landholder in England, never quite captured the crown, because he never had enough cash to hire enough soldiers. Edward IV learned as a boy that political power requires lots of money, and that money is made in the marketplace, so he cultivated the merchants of the City of London. He put through laws that helped their trade, he insisted on being included in their deals--and he mingled with them socially, which is how he met the subject of this story, daughter of one rich merchant and wife of another. The novelist steps in to supply the details, but historians confirm that soon after Edward IV got a look at her, the wife of Shore was moved to Windsor while her husband transferred himself and his business to Flanders. But that's all background. This story begins on April 8, 1483, when Edward IV -- only forty years old -- suddenly collapses.