"Kenilworth" is a novel by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1821. It's a historical novel about the events leading to Amy Robsart's
death in 1560.
The story tells about the tragic event of Amy Robsart, betrothed to Edmund
Tressilian. She is the daughter of Sir Hugh Robsart who has been persuaded to contract a secret marriage with Robert Dudley, the ambitious Earl of
Leicester, who is courting the favours of Queen, Elizabeth I. He believes that only by keeping the marriage secret to the queen he can rise to the power he desires. Amy is kept at Cumnor Place, near Oxford, by the treacherous and greedy steward of the earl, Richard Varney, actually the chief villain, who all along has been pushing the earl to secure more power. Tressilian misconstrued this as Amy and Varney having an affair.
Failing to persuade Amy to return to her Father's house, Tressilian goes to the Queen and charges Varney with seduction. To protect the Earl of Leicester, Varney declares that Amy is his wife. Queen Elizabeth orders Amy to appear before her at Kenilworth, where Amy will stay in the course of a royal proceeding.
Meanwhile, Varney and Leicester suggest that Amy present herself as the wife of Varney, but Amy indignantly refuses. Aided by Tressilian, she makes her own way to Kenilworth where she is discovered by the Queen who finally finds out the truth that she is married to Leicester.
Suspecting a relation between Tressilian and his wife, Leicester orders Varney to carry her back to Cumnor Place with a plan to murder her. Tressilian arrives too late to prevent the tragic "accident" and is devastated.
The novel is Sir Walter Scott's interpretation of the events that lead to the mysterious death of Amy Robsart that happened in 16th century Elizabethan England.
Trivia: French writer, Victor Hugo, wrote a play of the same title "Kenilworth" with most part based on this novel by Sir Walter Scott.