The Jubilee

In the summer of 1888 King George I of Greece is preparing to celebrate his Silver Jubilee in Athens. Simultaneously, a team of archaeologists from Cambridge University departs for Greece in a ship laden with equipment to boost the recently founded British School, cheerfully unaware of the dangers ahead. Kate is a young classical scholar who pulled some strings to secure her place on the expedition. As she can read and translate ancient Greek and is qualified for the role, but her real motive was to get closer to the expedition leader who she met when she was a young girl, and has been infatuated with ever since. The ship carrying the archaeologists is full of well-heeled débutantes, dignitaries and dilettantes, eager to participate in the jubilee celebrations, which are the highlight of their social calendar. Intrigue and rumours swirl like mist amongst the excited passengers, who spend their time socialising and gossiping, blissfully ignorant of the fact that they are heading towards a dangerous political situation developing in the Balkans as the rival empires of Russia, Britain, Greece, Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans compete for political power. Abruptly the expedition takes an unexpected turn when Kate realises that secret missions, treasure-hunters, mysterious sects, a would-be assassin and treason could conspire to deprive her of the man she has always loved...