‘I’m a married man,’ John said. ‘As you are, my lord.’ He paused for Buckingham’s crack of laughter. ‘But I will attend you there and wait for you as long as you wish, my lord.’

Buckingham rested his hand on Tradescant’s shoulder. ‘No, I have a dozen men who can wait on me, and only one who loves me like a brother. I shan’t waste your love and loyalty on watching me dancing. What would you like to do most?’

Tradescant thought. ‘I’ve seen some plants which would look very well at New Hall,’ he said cautiously. ‘If you could spare me, I shall visit the Robins’ garden to order the plants and see them packed, and then they could come home with us when we leave.’

Buckingham thought, his head on one side. ‘I think we can do better than that.’ He reached into the deep pocket of his coat and pulled out a purse. ‘D’you know what this is?’

‘Money?’

‘Better than that. A bribe. An enormous bribe, from Richelieu or his agents.’

John looked at the purse as if it were a venomous snake. ‘Do you want me to return it?’

Buckingham threw back his head and laughed. ‘John! My John! No! I want you to spend it!’

‘French money? What do they want for it?’

‘My friendship, my advice to the king, my support of the little princess. Take it!’

Still John hesitated. ‘But what if you need to warn the king against them? What if things change?’

‘Who’s our worst enemy? Worst enemy of the faith? Greatest danger to the freedom of our Protestant brothers in Europe?’

‘The Spanish,’ John said slowly.

‘So we befriend the French to make an alliance against the Spanish,’ Buckingham said simply. ‘And if they want to give me a fortune for doing what I would be doing anyway – then they may!’

‘But what if it all changes?’ John asked. ‘What if the Spanish make an alliance with the French? Or the French turn against us?’

Buckingham tossed the purse in the air and caught it again. It fell as if it were indeed very heavy. ‘Then the money is spent and I have done my country the service of draining the coffers of our enemy. Here! Catch!’ He threw the purse to John, and John caught it as a reflex action before he could stop himself.

‘Take it to Amsterdam,’ Buckingham said, as skilfully tempting as a serpent in Eden. ‘Take it to Amsterdam, and buy tulips, my John.’