In Hugger-mugger follows the lives of two women, one a countess and the other a commoner, as they try to survive in a world where all females are regarded as inferior and where the Crown determines their fate. Lady Mary Sidney, although highly educated and a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, is not free to pick her husband or publish works that do not conform to the accepted standard of propriety for women. Sarah Burton, daughter of a country doctor, is a brilliant woman who must hide her intellect and suppress her desire to study medicine. Their lives intertwine when Sarah saves the life of Lady Mary's cousin and together the women conspire to smooth the path to their goals.