He could have said nothing which would have worked more powerfully on Tradescant. Unaware of the action, John hefted the purse in his hand, guessing at the weight. ‘They are going at a terrible price,’ he said. ‘The market has gone mad for tulips. Everyone is buying, everyone is speculating in them. Men who have never left their money counters are buying the names of tulips on scraps of paper, they never even see the flower. I can’t be sure how many bulbs I could get, even with this money.’

‘Go,’ Buckingham commanded. He flung himself into a chair and swung his long legs over the arm. He looked at Tradescant with his teasing smile. ‘You know you are longing for them, my John. Go and look at the tulip fields and buy as many as you want. There’s that purse, and another to follow. Bring me a couple of bulbs back and we will put them in a pot, set ourselves up as burghers and grow rich.’

‘The Semper Augusta is scarlet and white,’ John said. ‘I’ve seen a painting of it. The colour is most beautifully broken, and it has a most wonderful shape, the true tulip cup shape but with tiny points on each petal, so each petal stands a little proud from the others. And long curvy leaves …’

‘In faith! This is love!’ Buckingham mocked. ‘This is true love, John I’ve never seen you so moved.’

Tradescant smiled. ‘There’s never been a more perfect flower. It’s the best there is. There’s nothing better. And there’s never been one which cost more.’

Buckingham pointed to the French bribe in Tradescant’s hand. ‘Go and buy it,’ he said simply.

Tradescant packed that night and was ready to leave at dawn. He left a note for his master, promising that the gold would be safe in his keeping and that he would buy as many bulbs as could be got but, to his surprise, when he was about to mount his horse in the street outside the Buckingham hôtel, the duke himself came lounging out, pulling on a robe against the cold morning air, dressed only in his shirt and boots and breeches.

‘My lord!’ Tradescant dropped the reins of his horse and went towards him. ‘I had thought you would sleep till noon!’

‘I woke and thought of you setting off on your own adventure and I chose to come down to bid you farewell,’ Buckingham said casually.

‘I would have waited if I had known. I could have left later and you could have had your sleep.’

Buckingham slapped John on the shoulder. ‘I know. It doesn’t matter. I knew you were setting off early, and I woke and looked from my window and took a fancy to see you ride away.’