‘Yet I will offer York and Warwick pardon,’ Henry insisted, ‘and any of their captains who offer me allegiance, except Salisbury if you insist. Of course they will have to pay hefty fines in land and coin for their rebellion, which will please the Chancellor who tells me constantly that the royal coffers are empty.’

‘After you send out your offer of pardon, my liege, perhaps you might then show yourself walking among your troops,’ I suggested. ‘Many of York’s men may not be fully aware that they are being asked to attack the king’s person – their sovereign lord, to whom they have all sworn allegiance. If they see you they may refuse to follow the white rose into battle.’

‘You are right, Jasper.’ King Henry stood up. ‘Very well, bring my crown and the sword of state and I will walk among the men in full sight of the rebel army. Anyone who fires an arrow at us after that will be considered a traitor. Then perhaps they will all disperse and I can go back to Kenilworth and be granted a little peace.’

That night, after the king’s promenade through his lines, as many as a thousand men crept stealthily across Ludford Bridge to claim his pardon, including the Earl of Warwick’s close ally Sir Anthony Trollope with his crack troop of five hundred men brought from Calais. It must have been a bitter blow to the earl and to the Yorkist cause. Soon after dawn the following day I went to the king’s tent to celebrate Mass with him and a messenger came to tell us that, far from preparing for battle, half of York’s men had vanished from their lines across the river. A little later the Duke of Buckingham brought intelligence that the Duke of York and the Earls of Salisbury, Warwick and March had fled Ludlow during the night, leaving the duchess to surrender the castle.

I was aghast. ‘Poor lady! She will be unprotected and terrified.’

Buckingham shrugged, as if the Duchess of York’s state of mind was of little importance to him even though she was his wife’s sister. ‘I have issued orders that the town is not to be sacked, your grace, but our men are angry that the rebels have insulted the crown and may be difficult to control. I will obtain the keys to the castle from the duchess myself and see to her protection but I have also learned that the Duke of York is heading for Ireland through Wales. I think it is Pembroke’s job to stop him taking ship.’ He glanced from me to the king for confirmation.

King Henry’s brow knitted. ‘Humphrey is right, Jasper. York must be stopped and this time there will be no pardon. Waste no time, brother.’