The earl limped forward. His arthritic hip pained him to walk, and it had grown worse in the last few months. John, without offering sympathy, moved a little closer and his master leaned on his shoulder.

‘All I have ever done is juggle with the forces which drive us,’ the earl said. ‘All I ever have to do is to fend off consequences. He’s running through the old queen’s fortune as if there were no bottom to the well. And nothing to show for it. No roads, no Navy, no protection for shipping, no new colonies to mention … and not even a bit of show for the people.’

It was growing darker, the cool early summer twilight hid the bare places of the garden, masked the awkward corners. The earl’s favourite pinks, which John had planted in great ornamental urns on the terrace, scented the air as their cloaks brushed by. John bent to pick a spray and handed it to him.

‘You brought the new king to his throne, and to his country,’ John observed. ‘You’ve served him well. And he came to his country without trouble. You’ve kept the country at peace.’

The earl nodded. ‘I don’t forget it. But that little chestnut tree of yours, John, that little tree in the pot, may bring more joy to more Englishmen than any of my schemes, in the long run.’

‘Most men’s tastes are not political,’ John said apologetically. ‘I prefer the tree, myself.’

The earl laughed. ‘I have something to show you. I think you may be surprised.’

He turned and John followed him back towards the house. The wide double door stood open, two serving men at either side. The earl walked past them as if they were invisible, John nodded pleasantly to them.

The earl led John into the shady hall. The wood floor and panelling smelled sweet and new, there was sawdust still in the corners, and the linenfold shapes on the panelling were sharp-cut and bright. The wood had not even had its first polish yet, it was still light and shining. Even in the twilight it gleamed as if it were bathed in sunshine.

At the foot of the stairs there was a great newel post, left swathed in a cloth by the woodcarver when he went home for the night. The earl took hold of the sheet and pulled it to one side.

‘What d’you see?’